give someone the business

Meaning: (idiomatic,dated)To treat someoneharshlyor in awrongfulmanner, such as byabusing,deceiving, ormanipulating.1951,Mickey Spillane,One Lonely Night‎[1], Penguin, published1980:“I hope you're right, Mike. I hope you aren'tgiving me the business.”I grinned at him. “The only one who can get shafted is me.”1965,Wilbur Smith,The Dark of the Sun‎[2], published2008:"They wouldn't waste the women. I'd guess they've got them up at the hotel, taking it in turn togive them the business. Four women only – they won't last till morning."; (idiomatic,dated)Toharangue,criticizevigorously,berate, orridiculesomeone.1945November 26, “Religion: Canterbury Red”, inTime:The Red Dean's utterances, as usual, got on some people's nerves. The irreverentNew York Daily Newsgave him the business, in a full-column editorial, ending; "Nobody curbs these whizbangs in the United States or England, where they are free to be as nutty as their capacities will permit."1973,Rita Mae Brown,Rubyfruit Jungle(1977 Randlom House edition),→ISBN,p. 149:Then the kids at school startedgiving me the businessabout being a fairy, called me the African Queen.1982,Elmore Leonard,Cat Chaser‎[3],→ISBN:They'd switch frequencies and there she'd be like Tokyo Rose,giving them the business. “What you doing here, Marines? You come to kill us? Why? We haven't done nothing to you.”

Examples:

EN: I want to give someone the business.
ES: Quiero darle el negocio a alguien.

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